COURSE CURRICULUM

Traditional Class A certification programs require a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate-level coursework, with the exact plan of study determined in consultation with an academic advisor and based on official program checklists. These programs are structured to align with Alabama State Department of Education certification requirements and are available across multiple secondary education teaching fields. Certain broad or “comprehensive” fields have additional distribution requirements to ensure subject breadth: English Language Arts candidates must complete coursework in at least two of EN, JCM, COM, and TH; General Science candidates must complete coursework in at least two of BSC, CH, PH, and GEO; and General Social Studies candidates must complete coursework in at least two of HY, SOC, PY, PSC, GY, and EC. These distribution rules ensure candidates have interdisciplinary competence within their certification area rather than focusing too narrowly on a single discipline.Candidates who transition from a comprehensive field such as General Social Studies into a single subject teaching field (for example, History) must also satisfy state licensure testing requirements, including passing the appropriate Praxis subject assessment. This ensures alignment between coursework specialization and certification eligibility. Additionally, individuals pursuing Class AA (advanced graduate certification) must already hold valid Class A certification in the same teaching field before advancing, reinforcing a sequential licensure structure.Alternative Class A programs differ in structure and intensity, requiring a minimum of 37 semester hours of specific graduate credit in addition to certain undergraduate prerequisites. These programs are designed for candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and follow updated requirements effective June 13, 2024, or allow earlier candidates to opt into the revised structure. Like Traditional programs, Alternative Class A plans must be developed with an advisor and require a minimum GPA of 3.25 across all program coursework, with no grade lower than a C permitted.Overall, both pathways are tightly regulated, advisor-guided certification routes designed to prepare candidates for secondary education licensure while ensuring academic rigor, subject-area breadth where required, and compliance with state certification standards.